Another Mad Week

Posted on December 10th, 2018

by Rab Bruce’s Spider

We are entering another mad week in UK politics. Rumours are that Theresa May might go back to Brussels for a better deal than the one she negotiated, but that sounds like just another Westminster delaying tactic. The EU isn’t going to budge, so there is no point going back again.

As to whether the deal passes in Westminster, the situation is so fraught that anything could happen. We might even see Brexit cancelled if enough MPs see sense.

Some pro-Indy folk are hoping Brexit goes ahead because it seriously improves the chances of Scotland becoming independent. I can understand why people may feel this way, but wishing harm on our neighbours simply to suit ourselves is not a good position to adopt.

Ideally, I’d like to see Brexit cancelled, then Scotland voting in IndyRef2 to become a normal country. That would nullify all the daft arguments about England refusing to trade with an independent Scotland because both countries would remain in the EU.

Of course, the danger in this approach is that some will argue that, with Brexit no longer a threat, there is no need for independence. This misses the point that a country governing itself is the fundamental issue in the Indy debate. Whether the UK is in the EU or not, Scotland being independent is the best course for our nation.

And, as someone on Twitter pointed out, just because someone threatens to throw you off a cliff then changes their mind is no good reason to stick around them. If they’ve threatened to do one mad thing, they are perfectly capable of doing plenty other harmful things. Indeed, England’s penchant for voting Tory has already done considerable harm to Scotland. Escaping that situation is the only sensible thing to do. It will take a while to set up a new nation, but others have managed it, and if our nearest neighbour remains a part of the EU, the transition will be that much easier.

The problem is, the UK is far from sensible, so who knows where we will be by the end of this week? They might try to delay and obfuscate because that is the British way, but a decision needs to be made soon. Let’s hope it’s the right one.

Rab Bruce's Spider is a collaborative blog site where individuals who support Scottish Independence can express their views. If you would like to contribute, please email your suggested article to ga.author@sky.com.